Meghan Markle has been accused of using a ‘common marketing ploy’ to help her As Ever lifestyle range to sell out in a matter of minutes.
The Duchess of Sussex released her line of long-awaited items, first teased a year ago under a different name, today as she continues to rebrand herself as a ‘domestic goddess’.
It included a wildflower honey with honeycomb priced at an eye-watering $28 (£21.60) and some flower sprinkles at $15 (£11.60), while a jar of raspberry jam set punters back $14 (£10.80).
Other goods in the Duchess’s lifestyle range included shortbread and crepe mixes – both being sold for $14 – and various herbal tea mixes for $12 (£9.30) each.
When the items went on sale in the US earlier today, they were snapped up within minutes, selling out within half an hour of going live.
However, despite the sell-out opening day, some have seemingly cast doubt on the success of the 43-year-old royal’s latest business venture.
The Telegraph quoted what they called a well-placed source as saying the items had been made available in small quantities and quickly marked as sold out to generate interest, which is ‘a common marketing ploy’.
In a post on social media, Meghan wrote: ‘We’re live! Come shop the As ever collection I’ve poured so much love into. So excited to share this with you’, before adding ‘limited quantities for each seasonal drop’.
Meghan Markle is facing accusations that a ‘common marketing ploy’ was used to help her As Ever range sell out in a matter of minutes. The duchess is pictured marking the launch today
The Duchess’s flower sprinkles, which have sold out, cost £11.59 – and are also featured on Meghan’s cookie mix
Meghan Markle’s As Ever range is already selling out, including her limited edition Wildflower Honey which retails at approximately £21
MailOnline has approached the Duchess of Sussex and Netflix for comment.
Launching the range, Meghan told her followers in a newsletter that it’s a ‘love language’ rather than a brand.
In a gushing message to her followers, she wrote: ‘If you’ve been receiving these newsletters, you’ve been reading my musings about this brand and why it means so much to me – why it’s person, why it brings me joy, and how I hope that it becomes both personal and joyful for you too.
‘You’re now familiar with the line-up of products, and as of today you can order them for yourself to experience at home. I can’t wait to hear what you think!
‘Welcome to As Ever…this is just the beginning!’
The business venture comes just weeks after Meghan unveiled her new TV show, With Love, Meghan.
Netflix, the maker of her series, is her business partner and will begin selling her lifestyle range inside two of America’s mega-malls later this year.
However, behind the scenes, sources have suggested the launch of Meghan’s company has been anything but smooth sailing – with Netflix staff claiming they were already ‘over it’.
The Duchess revealed her collection is officially live on her website
The Duchess of Sussex has revealed her jam jars are set to retail for between $12 and $15 – including her emblematic raspberry spread
Among the items in the collection are a herbal lemon ginger tea which is selling for approximately £9
Meghan is also selling peppermint tea, ready made crepe mix and shortbread cookie mix with flower sprinkles
Speaking to MailOnline, an insider claimed the Montecito start-up has proved to be a ‘logistical nightmare’ after the 11th hour name change from American Riviera Orchard.
People working on the retail project are said to be tired of the ‘drama’ surrounding the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, who has now been engulfed by scandal surrounding his Sentebale charity.
They have even been asked to sign NDAs to keep secret where the products, including her ‘fruit spread’, are being made, MailOnline’s source said.
‘There is so much drama surrounding them once again that internally the team are over it before it’s even launched’, MailOnline’s source has claimed. ‘It’s been a logistical nightmare and the buying team are having an issue as they can’t work out what the demand will be, if any’.
MailOnline’s source said that away from the social media buzz, there are still fears internally about whether Meghan’s new brand will fly.
Team Sussex is believed to have lined up famous faces and influencers to help boost sales on Wednesday. ‘People will be posting their jars of jam – they’ve seeded it to lots of influencers to get it out there and to plaster social media with ‘good vibes’ on launch’, they said.
Speaking to the New York Times ahead of the launch of her As Ever collection, Meghan insisted her freezer was ‘stuffed with’ convenience foods.
The Duchess of Sussex admits the launch of her lifestyle brand is a ‘pivotal moment’ but hopes it will inspire others
Meghan’s As Ever products will launch on Wednesday – but a Netflix insider has claimed there are concerns about how much it will sell
Meghan shared footage of her ‘fruit spread’ being made. A Netflix source claims that staff were asked to sign NDAs to ensure the location of the factory remains secret
Meghan today gave her Instagram followers a glimpse into her Montecito mansion in a new video where she makes banana pudding at home with her mother Doria
MailOnline has asked Netflix to comment.
The Duchess had unveiled her lifestyle brand as American Riviera Orchard last year, sending out 50 jars of jam to her friends as a soft launch.
The ‘American Riviera’ is a nickname for Santa Barbara, where Meghan lives with husband Prince Harry and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
But Meghan was forced to do an embarrassing U-turn after US officials told her geographical locations could not be patented and she therefore could not trademark the brand – prompting the switch to ‘As Ever’.
Meghan confirmed the change of name in a video posted to her Instagram on February 18, shared with her 2.2million followers on the social media platform.
However, this too proved to be a shambles after it was revealed the name was already being used by a long-established independent clothing brand in New York.
And in another blow, the Duchess found herself embroiled in a plagiarism row over the logo for As Ever with a small town in Majorca.
The mayor of Porreres, a town on the Spanish island, accused Meghan’s company of copying their historic coat of arms in its logo, which features a palm tree and two birds.
The Duchess today sought to defend the controversy surrounding the As Ever lifestyle firm amid the launch of its products.
The Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix series With Love, Meghan, has raised some questions about Meghan’s upbringing and the stories she tells of her childhood. Pictured with Mindy Kaling
Meghan Markle finally announced her As Ever lifestyle products would be released this week
Fans were quick to notice that the link to the As Ever Instagram account contained a spelling error – reading @aseveroffical, instead of @aseverofficial
In an interview with Inc., Meghan compared the name change fiasco to that of Bumble, the social media dating app, which changed its name from “Merci” early on.
Meghan, who is pals with the dating app’s tech guru founder, Whitney Wolfe Herd, claimed that even though she was ‘close friends’ with her, she had ‘no idea’ about Bumble’s original name.
‘These things that can feel very big as an entrepreneur when you’re building your own thing are completely normal,’ she added.
When Meghan unveiled her brand’s new name in February, Mark Kolski, founder of the New York City-based clothing brand As Ever, wrote on his brand’s website: ‘We are aware. We are not affiliated.’
Today, the duchess insisted she was cheering on the other As Ever brand and hoped that as more people used the phrase, the family-owned clothing brand would get a boost too. ‘There’s room for everybody,’ she says.
Ahead of her lifestyle brand launch, the Duchess of Sussex told potential buyers she hopes the items can ‘mimic the magic of Montecito in a way you can recreate at home’.
She has suggested her crepe mix will transform breakfasts into a ‘chance to reminisce’ because they remind her of ‘backpacking through France as a student’.
Her raspberry jam – which is made in a factory – will be ‘presented in keepsake packaging,’ and she advised fans to ‘repurpose’ the jars ‘to tuck away love notes or special treasures, and to remember this pivotal moment with me’, adding: ‘Think of it as our time capsule’.
Meghan, 43, continued: ‘And by the way, once you’ve enjoyed every spoonful of this fruit spread, you may want to do what I do: rinse the jar and use it as a small bud vase for flowers on your nightstand, or to hold your pens on your desk.’
The advice came in the newsletter which excitedly announced the roll out of her collection, with other products including a lemon ginger tea blend.
At the bottom of the email, Meghan provided links for fans so they could ‘follow the As Ever story’. But fans noticed that the link to the As Ever Instagram account contained a spelling error – reading @aseveroffical, instead of @aseverofficial.
When the link was clicked, it still took fans to the correct page – as did the accompanying link to the Duchess’s Instagram account, @meghan, but fans were surprised by the lack of attention to detail.
